SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC SQUELCHING IN RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES

• US 20130109319A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Splitz, David Edwin, Shoesmith, William Charles, Grady, Robert Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating with a radio frequency (RF) device are disclosed herein. In particular, a method of the present disclosure includes: listening for a first hailing signal to be received on at least one hailing channel selected from a plurality of hailing channels, selecting at least one hailing channel based upon a system time and a node identification; determining a noise floor for the at least one hailing channel; and upon receiving a noise signal on the at least one hailing channel, adjusting the noise floor in response to the noise signal.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a radio frequency (RF) device, the method comprising:

listening for a first hailing signal to be received on at least one hailing channel selected from a plurality of hailing channels, selecting at least one hailing channel based upon a system time and a node identification;

determining a noise floor for the at least one hailing channel; and

upon receiving a noise signal on the at least one hailing channel, adjusting the noise floor in response to the noise signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the noise floor is based on a signal strength indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal strength indicator is an indication of the amount of energy present in the at least one hailing channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the noise floor comprises:

raising the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the noise floor comprises:

lowering the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.

8. A method for monitoring interference, the method comprising:

setting a first sensitivity level for a first channel selected from a plurality of channels;

monitoring the first channel for authorized signals and unauthorized signals; and

in response to detecting an unauthorized signal on the first channel, decreasing the first sensitivity level to a second sensitivity level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting the first sensitivity level is based on a signal strength indicator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal strength indicator is an indication of the amount of energy present in the first hailing channel.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to detecting an authorized signal, enabling an RF device to receive the authorized signal.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to detecting no unauthorized signal on the first channel, increasing the second sensitivity level to a third sensitivity level.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third sensitivity level is substantially equal to the first sensitivity level.

14. A radio frequency (RF) apparatus for sending and receiving wireless communications, the RF apparatus further comprising:

an oscillator;

a memory configured to store a hailing channel frequency set and a data channel frequency set, the hailing channel frequency set comprising a plurality of hailing channels and the data channel frequency set comprising a plurality of data channels;

an antenna operatively configured to send and receive RF communications; and

a microprocessor operatively connected to the oscillator, the memory and the antenna, the microprocessor comprising;

logic to listen for a first hailing signal to be received on at least one hailing channel selected from the hailing channel frequency set, selecting the at least one hailing channel based upon a system time and a node identification;

logic to determine a noise floor for the at least one hailing channel;

logic to receive a noise signal on the at least one hailing channel; and

logic to adjust the noise floor in response to the noise signal.

15. The RF apparatus of claim 14, wherein the noise floor is based on a signal strength indicator.

16. The RF apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal strength indicator is an indication of the amount of energy present in the at least one hailing channel.

17. The RF apparatus of claim 14, wherein the logic to adjust the noise floor comprises:

logic to raise the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

18. The RF apparatus of claim 17, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.

19. The RF apparatus of claim 14, wherein the logic to adjust the noise floor comprises:

logic to lower the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

20. The RF apparatus of claim 19, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.